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Many of the articles posted within the emotional feelings network of sites were found at the website above... thanks so much & be sure to visit
them! There's so much information to be found there!
kathleen
welcome to night eating!
Please read the following as it contains important information for optimal site
navigation!
  If you haven't visited the homepage, you're missing out on some important info, so I'll just give you a "heads up" here!
How this site works best for you!
You'll
notice that there are many underlined link words in each article below. The reason for this is that you have reached not only, "night
eating," but the emotional feelings network of sites. There are many sites included
within the network that'll be visited by clicking on these underlined link words.
If you can't find what you came
here looking for, visit the homepage for the emotional feelings network of sites by clicking above & read the options on
the homepage for the networks index of sites. Try to be specific when looking for an emotion or feeling word & click on the site you need!
It's very simple & very
interesting to follow your way thru the layers of your buried or stuffed emotions & feelings that have accumulated throughout the years!
when you've reached this point, or this website, you know you're making
progress!!!! this part gets difficult because now is the time to look within & become emotionally honest with yourself!!!
Best of luck & if you're
still stuck, send me an e-mail anytime, by clicking
here & I'll be glad to send you an immediate personal response!
Sincerely,
Kathleen
 as you're reading thru the info on this page,
ask yourself where your head is at this minute...
are you taking in the information with an open
mind? are you aware of the possibilities that are available for you to tune in on?
"Eating
disorders occur most commonly in adolescents & young adults & are 10 times more common in females than in males."
from: Diagnosis of Eating Disorders in Primary Care
SARAH
D. PRITTS, M.D., and JEFFREY SUSMAN, M.D.
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
Causes of Eating Disorders
While eating disorders may begin with preoccupations with food & weight, they're most often about much more than food.
click here for more info
Eating disorders are complex
conditions that arise from a combination of:
- long-standing behavioral, emotional, psychological, interpersonal
& social factors
Scientists & researchers
are still learning about the underlying causes of these emotionally & physically damaging conditions.
We do know, however, about
some of the general issues that can contribute to the development of eating disorders.
People with eating
disorders often use food & the control of food in an attempt to compensate for feelings & emotions that may otherwise seem overwhelming.
For some, dieting, bingeing & purging may begin as a way to cope with painful emotions & to feel in control of one’s life, but ultimately, these behaviors will damage a person’s physical & emotional health, self-esteem & sense of competence & control.
stay with me now...
let's look at some of the above factors. competency
shows up in several important areas. one of the most pertinent factors that ties in with social, family & genetic factors
that can cause disordered eating habits is - "change." read the article below & understand how it ties in to the "bigger picture" which is - "who develops an eating
disorder & why"?
"Unfortunately, the diagnosis of eating
disorders can be elusive & more than one half of all cases go undetected."
Becker
AE, Grinspoon
SK, Klibanski A, Herzog DB. Eating disorders. N Engl J Med 1999;340:1092-8.
The 3 Key Components to Any Successful Change - By Mary Ann Bailey, MC
We live in a world that's
constantly bombarding us with changes. One would think that with all that practice, we'd be fairly adept at navigating the change process.
But the truth of the matter is, making any kind of intentional change in our life can be difficult.
When we decide to change something in our lives, we make the decision to swap out
the old & familiar for something new & unknown. This upsets our equilibrium & can be frightening & somewhat disorienting.
But we can lessen
these feelings of uncertainty & ensure ourselves a greater chance of success, if we initially take the time to address the 3 key components necessary for any successful change.
These components are:
commitment, competence & structure.
COMMITMENT: (goes to make a point about commitment on the additional info on eating disorder's page!)
Most of us believe when we decide to make a change in our lives that we're fully committed to doing what it takes to make that change happen.
But commitment can be a tricky thing.
There can be part of us
who is truly committed to the change, while there may be other parts of us who have no desire to change.
This phenomenon is known
as having "competing commitments".
Competing commitments create resistance & having to deal with resistance is what often causes us to give up before we reach our goal.
Example: Megan wants to start an exercise program to lose weight & increase her energy level. She signs up for a class at health club & is excited about getting started. The first few mornings go well, but then she begins to notice that her enthusiasm is waning.
Megan begins to
sabotage her progress by skipping classes & telling herself that her instructor isn’t really sensitive to her needs. She feels that she's still committed to losing weight & doesn't really understand where her resistance is coming from.
Resistance is the red flag for competing
commitments. In Megan's case the competing commitment turned out to be her desire to spend time with her friends. She had a weekly get-together that she assumed she no longer could attend because she had
to get up early in the morning to exercise.
Megan saw her
dilemma as an either/or situation. She believed that she would have to give up one activity in order to have the other.
Once she realized
that that wasn’t actually true – that her friends would be willing to change their meeting time – Megan began to relax & her resistance disappeared.
COMPETENCE:
The
2nd key element is competence. Competence means having the skills necessary to make the change happen, or having the time, energy & ability needed to acquire the skill.
Example:
Lucy
was having trouble at work with one of her workers, Kris. Every time Lucy would try & talk to Kris about her negative attitude, the conversation would end up very heated & both women would leave feeling upset & unheard.
Lucy was committed to finding a way to try & help Kris see how her attitude was affecting her team & the whole organization.
After several less-than-satisfactory attempts at trying to solve the problem herself, Lucy realized that she wasn't as skilled at having these kinds of conversations as she needed to be. At this point she had to decide whether or not she wanted to commit to strengthening her ability to have difficult conversations.
Lucy knew she was
capable of learning what was needed & she was committed to seeing her problem thru; so she decided to hire a consultant to help her address the situation.
STRUCTURE:
The last element is structure. Structure is the most important element in making change happen, but it's very often overlooked.
Structure is what
holds the change process together. It refers to any resources you might need, such as Megan's exercise class or Lucy’s consultant. It also refers to the systems needed to support you as you're working thru your change.
Structure provides the safety net. It allows you to share the burden of change with others, therefore lightening your load. It also helps ensure success, as a team effort is usually more successful than one person going it alone.
Who do you call when you're feeling stuck, discouraged, or you want to quit?
Who do you celebrate
with when you're successful?
Who'll be there
to prod you, encourage you & remind you how great you are & that what you're doing is wonderful?
However,
we often forget to put this piece into place & then we're left to face the struggles by ourselves.
We can become overwhelmed & give up feeling defeated & discouraged. Making sure you have a strong structure in place to support you thru your change can keep this from happening.
Although the process of change is often described as difficult, it also can be an incredibly exciting journey.
Change is the source of energy that keeps us moving forward & allows us to discover new things about ourselves &
our world. But, as with all journeys, the better you prepare for it, the smoother your trip will be.
So, the next time you're faced with a change, make sure you're clear about your commitment, realistic about your competence & that you've taken the time to create a solid structure to support you. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the end results.
okay... that's what it takes to be successful
with changes in your life...
but what happens if you feel like you're not
competent, you can't commit and you feel that you aren't strong enough to get things together yourself & you have no support
or structure?
how do you cope with
change then? do you eat? at night when your defenses are sleeping? think about it!
Family factors
Some people with eating disorders say they feel smothered in overprotective families.
Others feel
Parents who over-value physical appearance can unwittingly contribute to an eating disorder. So can those
who make critical comments, even in jest, about their children's bodies.
Families that include a person with
an eating disorder tend to be overprotective, rigid & ineffective at resolving conflict.
Sometimes mothers
are emotionally cool while fathers are physically or emotionally
absent.
excerpt: Excerpts from the Archives of the Narcissism List - Narcissists & Depression - (one reason for being emotionally absent)
"If by "depression" we also mean "numbness" then most narcissists are simply numb, emotionally absent, non-existent. Their emotions aren't accessible, not "available" to them. So, they inhabit a grey emotional twilight zone.
They regard the world thru a glass opaquely. It all looks false, fake, invented, contrived, in hues of wrong.
But they don't have a sense of living in prison. I have been to prison.
Once in it, you remember there's an "outside" &you know there's a way out. Not so in narcissism. The outside
has long faded into oblivion, if it ever existed. And there's no way out."
back to the above article!
At the same time,
there are high expectations of achievement & success. Children learn not to disclose doubts, fears, anxieties & imperfections.
Instead they try to solve
their problems by manipulating weight & food, trying to achieve the appearance of success even if they don't feel successful.
Research at Oregon Health & Science
Univ. in Portland has produced strong evidence that exposure to stress (abuse, neglect, loss of a parent) in childhood increases the risk of behavioral & emotional problems (anxiety, depression, suicidality, drug abuse - phenomena frequently associated with eating disorders) in teenagers & young
adults. For details, see the OHSU press release.
more examples of emotionally cool or emotionally
absent parenting:
Emotionally Absent Father
That's what I believe has plagued my wife for many years.
Her father was at home, but wasn't there for her or her sister. Mother and father finally divorced when she was around 11
or 12. Sister got married young, had kids, husband abusive, messy divorce.
All predictable as effects of an "emotionally
absent father".
What I'm looking for are articles on this that relate specifically to daughters and how it affects
their own marriages.
With a possible cause, one can find a possible cure.
And possibly find happiness.
Can
you help me find happiness again?
I did all the possible Google searches on this but nothing was concrete and specific
on how this could affect a daughter in her own marriage later in life.
I see a glimmer of light at the end of a dark
tunnel.
In addition, other research
suggests that daughters of mothers with histories of eating disorders may be at higher risk
of eating disorders themselves than are children of mothers with few food & weight issues.
Children learn attitudes about dieting & their bodies thru observation. When mom is dissatisfied with her body & frequently diets, daughters will learn to base their self-worth on their appearance, says Christine Gerbstadt, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
Alison Field, lead author
of a Harvard study of peer, parent & media influences on children's dieting behavior & body image attutudes (Pediatrics, Vol. 107 No. 1 January 2001, pp. 54-60)
adds that "even small cues - such as making self-deprecating remarks about bulging thighs or squealing in delight over a few
lost pounds - can send the message that thinness is to be prized above all else."
According to a report
published in the April 1999 issue of the International Journal of Eating Disorders,
mothers who have anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder handle food issues & weight concerns differently than mothers who have never had eating disorders.
Patterns are observable even
in infancy.
They include:
- odd feeding schedules
- using food for rewards
- punishments
- comfort
- other non-nutritive purposes
- concerns about their daughters' weight
Still to be determined is
whether or not daughters of mothers with eating disorders will themselves become eating disordered when they reach adolescence.
Also, if mothers & fathers
preach & nag about junk food & try to limit their children's access to treats, the children will desire & overeat these very items. (click here to read other info)
A recent study (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2003;78:215) indicates that when parents restrict eating, children are more likely to eat when they're not hungry.
The more severe the restriction, the stronger the desire to eat prohibited foods. These behaviors may set the stage for a full blown eating disorder in
the future.
OHSU Research Reveals Likely Connection Between Early-Life Stress & Mental Health Problems During The Teenage Years (November 16, 2005)
Research to be presented Wednesday, Nov. 16, at the Society
for Neuroscience Meeting in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Research
conducted at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University & at the University
of Pittsburgh suggests a strong link between significant stress early in life & the increased incidence of mental health problems during adolescence.
The research strengthens
the case for proactive treatment or counseling of children who undergo a significant early-life
stress. The research is being presented during the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Washington, D.C., Nov. 12-16. The
meeting is one of the largest & most respected gatherings of neuroscientists in the world.
Both past research & human observation
reveal that children who experience early-life stresses such as:
have an increased risk of developing
attachment disorders.
Later in childhood, these
same children show an increased incidence of manifesting some types of behavioral & emotional disorders, including:
Both genetic
factors & life experiences appear to play a role in the causes of these mental
health disorders.
"Until now only
human observation & theories have suggested that early-life stresses can also lead to problems as far away as the teenage years," said Judy Cameron, Ph.D., a senior scientist in the divisions
of Reproductive Sciences & Neuroscience at the OHSU Oregon National Primate Research Center.
Cameron also is
a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. "By studying a species that has responses to early-life stresses that are very similar to young children, we can get a developmental picture that is much clearer than in humans."
Interpretation of human epidemiological studies are often difficult because children experiencing
early-life stresses frequently have exposure to many other situations, such as:
both of which can increase
the incidence of mental health problems.
In contrast, for this study
researchers were able to rear rhesus macaque monkeys with a one-time stress exposure, followed by rearing in a very stable social environment.
The findings provide strong
evidence that stress exposure early in life can have dramatic, long-lasting effects that persist into the teenage years & perhaps even
adulthood, even in the face of an otherwise stable rearing, such as would be recommended for children experiencing early life stresses.
"Some of the most important clinical
questions targeting early intervention for behavioral & emotional problems in youth will require a deeper understanding of the unique vulnerabilities linked to neural changes at puberty & adolescence - & more specifically, how these adolescent changes interact with earlier vulnerabilities such as major life stressors
& social adversity early in life," said Ronald E. Dahl, M.D., the Staunton Professor of Psychiatry & Pediatrics at
the University of Pittsburgh.
"This line of study
by the Cameron lab is providing unique insights into these developmental interactions in ways that can't be achieved in controlled
studies in humans."
The researchers studied 16
small social groups of monkeys for a 3 year period. Because monkeys mature at a much more accelerated pace than humans, a
monkey 2 to 4 years old would correspond to a human teenager in regard to mental & physical development.
To ascertain
the impacts of an early-life stress, certain monkeys had their mothers removed from the social group at various stages early in life. These monkeys
continued to be raised in the stable social groups with other monkeys - similar to a human child that loses a parent but continues
to be raised in their family.
Some infant monkeys had their
mothers removed from the social group when they were 1 week old. These infants went on to be alert & active, but to show
less than normal interest in social interactions.
Their behavior looked
similar to children who develop a form of attachment disorder characterized by withdrawal from social interactions.
Some infant monkeys
had their mothers removed from the social group when they were 1 month old. These infants went on to show increased clinginess
& seek social comfort more than normal. Their behavior looked similar to children who develop a form of attachment disorder characterized by indiscriminate clinginess.
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